How to write a Drupal to WordPress migration mapping document

Performing a Drupal to WordPress migration can be very complex, especially if you have many content types. You’ll make the process easier if you create a migration mapping document beforehand. A common migration mapping is to convert Drupal pages to the WordPress page type and Drupal stories to the WordPress post type. However, many Drupal sites also have custom content types so the mapping won’t always be obvious. Will they be converted to WordPress pages or posts? Do they have custom fields? How about views and panels? Perhaps you may need to develop a new WordPress content type to support them.

Your Drupal to WordPress migration mapping document will give everyone involved a clear idea about how the Drupal content will be migrated to its equivalent in WordPress. If you’re running the migration yourself on a simple blog or company site, there might not be much need to spend the extra effort but sometimes running through the process uncovers aspects of the site that you may have overlooked. I’d say this is vital for migrations where you’ve hired someone else or if you have a content-heavy or news-based site. Not only will the document make it easier for someone to quote for the job, you’ll also have a specification for reference when checking the results post-migration.

Creating the content mapping

Creating the mapping needn’t be complex. The easiest way is draw up a table with at least two columns. On the left column, list down all your Drupal content types. Next write down equivalent WordPress content type on the right column for each row of Drupal content types. You might find it helpful to have a third column for writing notes, such as whether or not you need do develop a new custom WordPress content type. If your Drupal content type has custom fields, simply add rows below each type listing the fields.

Sample content mapping table

Drupal

WordPress

Notes

Drupal

WordPress

Notes

Drupal

WordPress

Notes

Field 1

Field 1

Notes

Field 2

Field 2

Notes

Field 3

Field 3

Notes

Drupal

WordPress

Notes

Drupal

WordPress

Notes

Drupal

WordPress

Notes

Developers responsible for the migration can also add additional sections specifying back-end table and field names where the relevant content can be found.

Creating the functionality mapping

Follow a similar procedure to create the functionality mapping. Instead of content type names, list down Drupal modules and equivalent WordPress plugins.

Preparing for your migration project

The migration mapping document will have helped prepare you for your project and provide you with a specification for the migration. You might also find the following articles useful: